


Dates and Disaster

by DestinyMass



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, M/M Sex, Smut, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 17:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyMass/pseuds/DestinyMass
Summary: Reyes had planned the perfect dates for his Pathfinder. And he had a surprise for him, but the work of a Pathfinder is never done. While on a routine mission Scott is captured by an unknown foe, and Reyes vows he will do whatever it takes to get Scott back.





	Dates and Disaster

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my goodness I did it! This was my first foray into the MEBB and mass effect fanfiction in general and i couldn't have had more fun. I want to thank my incredible artist BioticFox, whose amazing work is accompanying this story. Be sure to check them out on Tumblr! Their amazing art will be at the bottom of the story, to avoid spoilers.
> 
> And my Beta, Galexz, who somehow managed to put up with my shenanigans, and helped me name one of the characters.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this little story of mine as much as i did writing it

Banner by BioticFox

Chapter 1  
“You know Peebee, if you don’t want your gun to jam every ten minutes you should really clean it out more often.”  
“Who asked you? I’m Asari anyway, remember? Gun out, biotics in.”

 

  
“That’s not going to work all the time, and besides-” Vetra tried to argue.

  
“Guys enough! You’ve been going at this for ages, and it’s giving me a headache,” Moaned Scott, rubbing at his temples gingerly. “Can you not just agree to disagree and leave it at that?”

“Nyx that!” Vetra exclaimed. “If she’s gonna watch my ass out here I’d prefer she do it with a gun that actually works”

  
“Hey! I’m right here, and I do have a name you know,” Cried Peebee indignantly, feigning mock hurt.

  
“Peebee, Vetra, I say this because I love you, and because I love not having headaches, but shut up before I lock you in the Nomad,”

  
“You can’t lock me in here with her Scott! She’ll try to teach me about boring stuff!”

  
“Oh please,” Vetra said, “I’m not going to waste my time on you,”

  
Scott saw Peebee sticking her tongue out at Vetra in the rear veiw mirror. He raised his eyebrows and cast his eyes skyward, sending a silent plea to Suvi and Kallo even though he knew they couldn’t hear. SAM did though.

  
“Pathfinder, would you like me to block out their conversation?”

  
“No thanks, SAM, I’ll never hear the end of it if you do.”

  
“Hey! Keep your eyes focused on the path Pathfinder, save your chat for when you’re not driving yeah?”

  
Scott gave out a loud groan, he cared deeply for his current teammates, but when the two of them were together for too long they sure managed to find a way to get on every last, frayed nerve he had. Choosing to heed Peebee’s words, lest they gang up on him, Scott fixed his eyes back onto the path and drowned out Vetra and Peebee’s bickering. Unfortunately for Scott, they were able to pierce through his defences not half an hour after.  
It was Peebee that started it, having decided to throw something at Vetra. Vetra had responded in kind. A missed shot, from whom Scott did not know, clipped him on the back of the head. The shock from being struck had him slamming his foot on the brake, which sent the occupants in the back of the Nomad flying into the front.

  
"Well hey Ryder, sorry to just fly in like this," Peebee joked, grimacing from the impact.

"I'm sorry guys, but this is why you don't distract the driver, EVER"

Vetra let out a gasp, or maybe a laugh if it hadn’t sounded more like a hiss of pain.

"Are you guys okay? Do I need to whip out the medi-gel?"

"No, we should be fine, just a few bruises in Peebee's case most likely"

"Maybe tell your boyfriend to have some strong drinks waiting for us when we get back!" Peebee half begged.

Scott laughed. "Don't worry there will definitely be something waiting for us when we get back, even if it's another experimental cocktail."

"I'd sooner headbutt a Krogan than have another one of Umi's concoctions. Are we sure she's not a poisoner? It would explain a lot."

Scott chose to ignore Peebee's ramblings, sending a quick message to Reyes.

_Hey, we had a little bit of a collision, we're gonna need the strong stuff when we get back._

Satisfied that the message had gone through, Scott decided that they had earned an opportunity to stretch their legs for a spell. Luckily, where Scott had come to a stop was relatively flat.

 Turning the engine off, Scott turned to face the others and motioned to the door. "Come on, let’s take a quick breather before we go any further."

"About time! I thought my legs were gonna stiffen up forever," Exclaimed Vetra, practically jumping at the chance to stand up.

Getting out of the Nomad proved to be more trouble than they first anticipated. A mix of injuries from the sudden stop and stiff limbs led to Vetra and Scott becoming a tangled heap in the ground. They managed to untangle themselves with no help from Peebee, who was bent over double in laughter.

"Laugh it up Peebee, I'll remember this when you need help getting stuff for your projects,"

"S-sorry. If you could've seen it you'd be laughing too. It was like something from one of those comedy vids,"

Finally managing to stand up without wincing, Scott looked down to see his omni-tool beeping softly.  
_I'll make sure Umi has them on standby for your friends. And for you, a little something special perhaps? You really ought to be more careful, I can protect you from most things here, but not your own stupidity Pathfinder._

Scott let out a soft chuckle. Reyes really knew how to make a man feel special.  
_How special were you thinking? Would you believe me if I said that it wasn't my fault?_

Turning his attention back to his companions, Scott noticed they finally seemed to have stopped bickering, at least for the moment. Peebee was busy grumbling about bruises she was sure she would wake up to in the morning, while Vetra was trying rather futilely to clean the newly acquired grime off the her armour. Scott briefly heard her mutter something about Peebee and Kadara being proof the devil was real, before SAM spoke to him.

“Pathfinder. You are receiving a call from Mr. Vidal. Should I put him through?”

“Please do SAM, I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about our little accident,”

A moment later, and Scott was greeted by a gentle accent that he would never be able to mistake, or indeed, forget.

“Ryder, I’m so glad that you are still in one piece,”

“Now what gave you that impression? You only need one arm to type,”

Reyes let out a small laugh. “Ah, well I have SAM sending me reports while you’re here - purely in the interest of protecting the Initiative's poster boy, I assure you,”

Scott could practically hear the grin through the channel. He could picture Reyes: lounging on the couch in his little room in Tartarus, holding a glass of whiskey with his gigantic “I know exactly how to make you blush” grin plastered on his face.

“It seems like SAM thinks we make a good couple, sending you reports and telling you about all my shenanigans.”

  
“Pathfinder, I am merely curious as to how a romantic relationship begins. I send Mr. Vidal reports to help you, given your propensity to leave out your various brushes with injury or death,” Sam said.

  
“Mr. Vidal? You are so formal SAM, I’ve told you before, call me Reyes. He does make a point though Scott, you do leave out the quite high number of times you’ve almost been killed, just look at last week, SAM tells me you nearly died three times,” Reyes teased.

  
“Nearly died, I didn’t though did I? No point in worrying you,” Scott fired back.

  
“I do wish you would tell me either way, it puts my mind at ease knowing you’re safe, and it avoids awkward situations like last night, if you had just told me that you had hurt your leg I wouldn’t have-“

 

“I’m gonna stop you right there Reyes, I really don’t want the others to know about our activities last night,”

  
“Yeah! I’d like to go my whole life without knowing about the things you do to Scott, thank you very much!” Peebee piped up. “It’s bad enough we can see the hickeys you gave him. Jeez, were you hungry or something?”

  
Reyes let out a throaty chuckle. “I am so sorry, I suppose I did get a little... carried away when he-“

  
“And again, really don’t wanna hear it shadow man, I don’t wanna hurl right now,”

  
“Very well Peebee, I promise I won’t mention it again, but I should be going anyway, Kadara won’t run itself,”

  
“I’ll see you when I get back then?” asked Scott.

  
“You know it Pathfinder, When you get back, come straight to Tartarus, I’ll give you that special something I promised. I’ll see you soon,” With that, Reyes ended the call, leaving a slightly embarrassed Scott looking at Peebee, who was looking rather ill and miming retching.  
Clearing his throat, Scott could feel himself going red under Vetra’s gaze, who had been noticeably silent during the exchange with Reyes. Scott could tell that the Turian was committing this scene to memory, no doubt to be used to torment him at a later date. Wishing the ground would swallow him, he turned his back to Vetra and pretended to adjust the straps on his shoulder, mentally telling SAM not to discuss this with him later. The last thing he needed was having to answer SAM’s questions and sate the AI’s curiosity about human relations.

  
“Well,” Scott began, wanting to get as far away from his conversation with Reyes as possible, “We’ve spent enough time relaxing, we should get back to it. We’ll go and check on Ditaeon and then head back to the port. Let’s hope Umi has her strongest drinks ready,”

  
Clambering back into the Nomad, Scott’s harpies - Gil’s not so affection nickname for the duo - sat in silence. Scott winced, bracing himself for the merciless teasing he knew was coming. It took them just under half an hour to reach the outpost, pushing them comfortably into the early afternoon, and Scott figured they could grab something to eat at the outpost. Parking the Nomad next to one of the sleeping blocks, they made their way to the communal building where Scott hoped to find the mayor of Ditaeon, Christmas Tate.

  
“Pathfinder! A pleasure to see you again, to what do I owe the honour?” Said Christmas.

  
Scott smiled, “It’s good to see you too, Mayor Tate. No particular reason, we’ve just been patrolling the area and thought we should check in, see how things are going. Is there anything Ditaeon needs?”

  
“Nothing that we can’t handle ourselves. The Charlatan has kept his promise, we’ve had no trouble with the Outcasts or the Roekaar, and we’re managing quite well in regards to food and water,”

  
“That’s excellent to hear, in that case, I was wondering if my team and I could grab some food while we’re here,”

  
“Of course Pathfinder. Funnily enough one of the Charlatan’s men stopped by earlier with supplies that he said to keep ready for you,”

  
“Oh great! Maybe that means we’ll get something better than Initiative paste,” Remarked Peebee happily.

  
Peebee was proven correct. Reyes had indeed sent ahead some real Milky Way food. The man clearly had a knack for committing details to memory since he had somehow managed to acquire Scott’s favourite lunch, a tuna baguette with just the right amount of mayonnaise that kept the fish moist but didn’t overpower with its own flavour. There was also some chunks of melon and a small chocolate bar. Scott wasn’t sure he wanted to know how Reyes had acquired them, since only a small amount of freeze dried food had been taken to Andromeda, and much had been lost when the Nexus hit the scourge. However, Scott thought, if Sloane Kelly had managed to steal a bottle of Mount Milgrom, she had probably also taken some of the food so it was possible that it had come from her supplies.  
After they had finished eating, they bade farewell to the mayor and set off back to the port. The journey was silent until they were almost back when Verta piped up.

  
“So, Ryder, how hungry was Reyes? Half your neck is covered in bruises, and you were walking a little funny,”

  
Scott groaned. What had he done to deserve this?

  
“I’d rather not talk about my activities with Reyes, thank you very much,”  
Vetra snickered and sent Peebee a pointed stare.

  
“Fine, but don’t think I’m gonna let this go,”  
Scott sighed, he must have been truly evil in a past life to have Vetra pester him like this.

  
Chapter 2

  
By the time they reached the port the sun was already setting. Leaving the Nomad with Cora, Scott, Peebee and Vetra made their way to Kralla’s Song, where Umi had hopefully prepared drinks. While Peebee and Vetra headed to the bar while Scott walked over to the table where Reyes was sitting.

  
“You look like you’re waiting for someone,”

  
Reyes laughed. “That’s my line,” He stood up and embraced Scott, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips.

  
“How are you feeling? Ready for that special something?”

  
“I need to know what that special something is before I commit,”

  
Reyes flashed a grin, and took Scott’s hand in his own. “Follow me and I’ll show you,”

  
Reyes took Scott out of the bar, and instead of heading to Tartarus, he walked towards the former Outcast headquarters. Slipping into one of the storage rooms, as usual, Scott thought to himself. He was taken aback when he realised that it had been cleared out and that a table had been set up with two plates in the centre. Reyes stood and pulled out a chair, inviting Scott to sit.

  
“I figured you needed a little something after all your hard work,”

  
“That’s very sweet of you Reyes, what’s on the menu?” Asked Scott, intrigued.

 

  
“A bottle of whiskey and an old fashioned steak, and for dessert,” Reyes leaned in closer and whispered into Scott’s ear, “Me,”  
Scott turned to face Reyes and kissed him, no longer chaste but passionate and wanting. Reyes returned the kiss, he had been looking forward to this all day. He broke free however, and motioned back to the table.

“We shouldn’t let this go to waste,”

  
Scott nodded reluctantly, and sat down, while Reyes did the same. Picking up his cutlery, Scott dug in. It was absolutely delicious. Scott had missed steak, and was enjoying his whiskey when Reyes spoke again.

  
“I hope you don’t mind Pathfinder, but I got you a present," Standing up, Reyes went over to one of the lockers and pulled out a suit of body armour. Scott noticed that it was very advanced, and clearly not Initiative standard. Presenting it to Scott, Reyes looked at Scott to judge his reaction.

  
“Wow Reyes, thank you! This is amazing, but where did you get it?”

  
“Can’t you just accept it?” Reyes laughed. “I had it custom made for you, I want you to be safe, Scott,” Laying the suit of armour on the table, Scott embraced Reyes once again.

  
“And I have one more gift for you. Follow me to the bedroom,” Reyes added huskily.

  
“Oh? I wonder what this is going to be,” Scott chuckled.

  
Reyes just smiled and threw his arm around Scott’s waist as he guided him out of the room and towards his apartment, as Reyes insisted it was called.

  
“I promise you Pathfinder, you’ll love it,” The door to Reyes’ apartment slid open, and Reyes slipped behind Scott, throwing a hand over the younger man’s eyes.

  
“Promise me you’ll keep your eyes closed for a moment,” He whispered into Scott’s ear.

  
“I will Reyes, what’s this about?” Asked Scott.

  
“You’ll see,”

  
Scott could hear Reyes rustling through one of the drawers, before setting something on the desk.

  
“You can open your eyes now Scott,”

  
Opening his eyes, Scott saw that Reyes had placed a small object on the desk. It appeared to be made of metal, it clicked in Scott’s head almost instantly  
“Is that.. an old camera? Reyes, where on Earth did you get that from?”

  
“Madrid, since you’re so interested.” Reyes said nonchalantly.

  
“Very funny, why do you have it? Omni-tools are much better for taking a picture.”

  
“I happen to like how they look. There’s something about them that looks… alluring,”

  
Scott picked up the camera to examine it. It was clearly old, probably from the 20th century if Scott knew Reyes’ taste. It was in surprisingly good condition, it almost looked brand new. Scott couldn’t help but marvel at it. His mother had had one similar, and she had taken pictures of the family with it all the time. He turned to Reyes and beckoned him to come over. Reyes stood up, walking over to where Scott was standing, and slipped his arm around the Pathfinder’s waist. Scott nestled his head under Reyes’, giving his neck a gentle kiss.

  
“So are you gonna say cheese or shall I?” Scott asked.

  
Reyes let out a chuckle, squeezing Scott’s waist and pulling him closer.  
“Just look at the camera Scott, and make sure you smile for once. You always look so serious.”

  
Scott nodded into Reyes’ neck, and turned to face the camera, making sure to flash his smuggest grin, one he’d like to think could match Reyes’ own. Wincing a little after the flash went off, Scott let go of Reyes so he could check the photo. Reyes took the picture out of the Polaroid and began to waft it up and down to help it develop. He did this for a few minutes before looking at it. A bright smile creeped across his face. Scott came up behind Reyes to look at it. Despite them being the same height, Scott looked rather comfortable with his head resting on Reyes’ shoulder, his smile bright and honest. Scott realised that Reyes wasn’t looking into the camera. His gaze was focused completely on Scott. The love and care he felt for the Pathfinder could be seen in his eyes and a small smile was on his face, as if he was remembering something amusing.

“So Pathfinder, what do you think? We take a good photo, don’t we?” Asked Reyes.

 

“It would appear that we do, among other things.” Scott said suggestively.

“Oh? And what would those other things be Pathfinder?”

“Why don’t you kiss me and find out.”

Reyes didn’t need to be told twice. Taking Scott’s hand in his own, he gently pressed his lips to his partner’s. Scott parted his lips, entwining his tongue with Reyes’. The heat of the kiss, the way Reyes’ tongue danced with his, made Scott moan and press into the hard body of his lover.  
Reyes let go of Scott’s hands and placed one on his lover’s waist and the other on the back of Scott’s head, keeping the younger man pressed to him. Scott’s hands found their way up to Reyes’ back, scrabbling against his shirt to find purchase. Reyes grinned into the kiss, Scott was letting his desires get the better of him, and Reyes could feel the stirrings of Scott’s manhood bumping against his thigh, which began to arouse his own member.

  
He slid his hand down the back of Scott’s trousers, cupping his buttocks as Scott slid his hands to the zip of Reyes’ jacket, sliding it down slowly. As the jacket fell open, Scott ever so slightly brushed his hand against the erection straining against Reyes’ trousers. Scott grasped the tip, giving a small pull to elicit a moan out of Reyes.  
Letting go, Reyes shrugged the jacket off his body, and pulled his shirt over his head, while Scott did the same.  
Reyes offered his hand to Scott, and led the Pathfinder to the bed. He laid Scott on his back and slid on top of him, tightly pressing their bodies together as he resumed the kiss. He heard Scott kick his shoes off and Reyes realised he should probably do the same. Breaking the kiss, Reyes moved his head to Scott’s neck and kissed it gently. Scott’s moan was loud and intoxicating, and Reyes wanted more.

  
He bit Scott’s neck, sucking in as he did so to mark Scott as his. Scott hissed in a mix of pain and arousal, his hands gripping Reyes’ back, fingernails digging in and scratching down his back. Reyes bit Scott’s neck again, using his tongue to lick the freshly marked skin.  
Scott broke Reyes’ hold on him and slid his trousers down his legs, leaving himself in just his boxers, which his erection was straining against. Reyes could see the tip of Scott’s member peeking out of the bottom of his boxers. In one smooth move Reyes slid his own trousers off, letting his boxers go with them. His erection freed, it hit his stomach as he rolled over to allow Scott to sit on him.  
Scott bobbed slowly against his manhood, simulating an act that Reyes was sure would be repeated later. Scott bent his head down to nibble on Reyes’ neck. It was enough to make him moan but not enough to leave a visible mark. Reyes looked at Scott with hooded eyes, his voice a growl as he said.

“Scott, please…”

Needing no further persuading, Scott got off of Reyes and removed his own boxers. He then slid his way down Reyes’ body, taking care to kiss every part of his body as he passed. Reaching his goal, Scott darted his tongue out to the tip of Reyes’ member, swirling it around the head before he swallowed Reyes’ erection. Closing his eyes with pleasure, Reyes let his moans out freely. Taking this as encouragement, Scott began to take more of Reyes into his mouth, going faster with each bob of his head.

“Shit! Ah, Scott, yes.. more, just like that.”

Reyes let out a loud gasp when Scott took him fully into his mouth, completely dedicated to pleasing him. It was only fair that he repay the favour. Grabbing Scott’s chin, Reyes kissed him, pushing him backwards until their positions were reversed. Hungry for Scott, Reyes wasted no time in completely enveloping Scott’s member with his mouth, making Scott yell with shock.

“Fuck! Reyes yes! Keep going, more, oh fuck!”

Hearing Scott beg for him aroused Reyes even more. He continued his work until Scott’s breathing hitched.  
He stopped and released Scott’s member from his mouth, leaving him a panting mess. Wasting no time, he flipped Scott onto his stomach, and wet a couple of his fingers. He looked to Scott, who nodded his approval. Grinning again, Reyes slid his fingers into Scott, who let out a hiss as Reyes’ fingers probed his tightness.  
Reyes began to speed up his rhythm, which broke through Scott’s remaining restraint.  
His moans were loud, and Reyes had no doubt that people outside would be able to hear. He removed his fingers, and replaced them with his tongue. He didn’t think Scott could moan any louder. Scott proved him wrong as his moans increased in volume until Reyes thought Umi could hear.

“Oh, oh fuck yes. Reyes fuck, please, I need you.”

Scott was a quivering mess, begging for Reyes to take him. He was so aroused by Scott’s submissiveness that he could have climaxed right then. Instead, he positioned himself to slide his member into Scott.  
His rhythm was slow and deliberate, allowing Scott to get used to him. As Scott began to push back against him he thrust deeper, allowing himself to throw caution to the wind.  
Reyes removed himself from Scott, but promptly picked him up and carried him to the wall. Inserting himself again, he began to thrust upwards, Scott’s member bouncing as each thrust hit the spot. Reyes could feel himself close to climaxing.

“Scott, I’m gonna.. I’m so close, ahhh.”

Reyes climaxed, filling Scott, who had his head thrown back as he stroked himself to climax. Letting out a gasp as he finished, his painted Reyes chest with his semen. Reyes carried them back to the bed, where they collapsed into a pile. Both attempting to get their breath back as they cleaned up, they embraced each other as Reyes pulled the cover over them.

“Reyes?”

“Mmhmm?”

“I love you.” Love. Scott had never said that to him before. And to be honest, he liked how it sounded.

“I love you too Scott. Let’s get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Okay. Goodnight Reyes.”

Chapter 3

Reyes awoke before Scott. The sun streamed in through the windows, the rays basking Scott in a golden glow. Smiling to himself, Reyes got out of bed, being careful not to disturb his lover. Making his way to the shower, he mentally ran through his plan for the day. He was not going to be working today. Scott had some downtime so he would be spending the day with him. He would wake Scott when he got out of the shower and then he would make the pair of them breakfast. He had used his contacts to rustle up some real food, so that they could enjoy a proper cooked meal. Then he would be taking Scott out to his favourite spot on Kadara, which was about an hour’s drive away from the port. He had also prepared an evening he hoped Scott would enjoy, beginning with a quiet dinner on the rooftop.  
When Reyes emerged from the shower, Scott had woken up. Reyes had to take in the view. Scott’s bed hair, which the younger man hated, framed his eyes. The cover had slipped from around Scott’s chest, and was resting over his intimate area. The leg closest to Reyes was uncovered, and Scott’s hand rested on his chest.

“Breath-taking,” Murmured Reyes to himself. He reached for the camera on the desk to snap a picture of Scott.

“Hey! You could’ve said,” Cried Scott indignantly.

“I liked how you looked, and I wanted a memory,”  
Scott laughed and finally worked up the effort to get out of the bed. Walking over to Reyes, he planted a kiss on his lips.

“Why don’t you go and have a shower while I make breakfast? I promise you it will be delicious.” Reyes said.

“Ha, sure thing. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Scott entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Once Reyes heard the shower running, he walked over to the kitchen area and began to make breakfast. Luckily he had committed Scott’s favourite foods, among other things, to memory. Hunting down the oil, Reyes had to chuckle when he realised that at some point in the night Scott must have gotten up and eaten some of the cheese he had. He hadn’t been subtle about it, he had literally taken a bite out of the block. It was just one of many quirks Reyes had discovered after they had begun dating proper.  
Reyes heard the shower shut off. Impeccable timing, he thought as he plated up breakfast. He placed the plates on the table when Scott wrapped his arms around him.

“There, now I’m freshened up, how about a kiss before breakfast?”

“For you? Anything,”

Reyes turned around to face him and placed a gentle kiss on Scott’s forehead. Breaking away, he went to sit down when he heard Scott’s omni-tool beep, indicating an incoming call.

“Urgh, let me take this,” Scott accepted the call, and Cora’s voice came through.

“Ah, morning Pathfinder. I’m sorry to interrupt but we’ve received a distress call from Ditaeon. We have to go,”

“Okay, let me grab my food and I’ll join you soon,” Ending the call, Scott turned to Reyes with an apologetic look on his face.

 

“I’m so sorry Reyes, but I have to go,”

“I understand. Take your food with you, and promise you’ll come see me as soon as you get back,”

“Of course Reyes, I’ll see you later, love you,”  
“I love you too Scott,”

Scott grabbed his breakfast and put it into a container and walked out the door. Reyes stared after him, whispering under his breath.  
“Stay safe, Pathfinder,”

Chapter 4

When they finally reached Ditaeon, they were greeted by a perplexed Mayor Tate.

“Maybe it was an accident or the signal is funny? I can assure you we haven’t any trouble since you left apart from a theft,”

“A theft? What was stolen?”

“The strangest thing, they took some medical supplies and a communication system. But only a one-way one,”  
After discussing the theft with the Mayor, Scott turned to Cora and asked, “What do you think? Seems like a minor incident to use the distress beacon,”

“I was thinking that. Maybe the Mayor is right and it was just an accident or a faulty signal,” Cora suggested.

They sat in silence after filling out the report, Cora and Liam trying their best not to fall asleep and Scott wanting to get back to Reyes before midday so that they could still go out. Scott was engulfed in his own thoughts when one of the wheels on the Nomad blew out.

“Shit! Sorry guys one of the wheels is gone. I’ll see what’s happened and see if I can’t fix it,”  
Scott got out of the Nomad and walked over to the offending wheel. There was a small hole in it.

“SAM, does this look fixable to you?”

“It should be an easy fix Pathfinder. However, you should know that this hole was caused by a sniper rifle,” SAM informed him.

“A sniper? But that means-“

A shot rang out and hit the ground next to Scott. He turned around to see where it had come from when he was hit with a sharp pain to his abdomen.

“Pathfinder, you have been shot. I will administer treatment,” Said SAM calmly.

“Thanks SAM, I know I’ve been shot!” Snapped Scott.

This was bad. The sniper wasn’t alone. There were more assailants and they were coming fast. Cora and Liam provided cover fire, saving Scott from the sniper, but they didn’t see the group approaching from the other direction. A hand reached out and grabbed Scott by the shoulders. His biotics flared. A sharp kick to his side caused him to hiss with pain. His biotics died down as SAM’s voice became distant.

“The bullet is laced with an unknown substance that is preventing me from providing care, Pathfinder. I am sorry but I cannot help you,” Were the last words Scott heard before the world went black.

Chapter 5

Scott woke to find himself stripped of his armour and tied to a chair. His wound still throbbed but it was more bearable now. He only had a few moments to assess his surroundings before he heard a door open and someone walk into the room.

“Pathfinder. The Initiative’s poster boy. How nice to finally meet you,” One of the figures said. An Angara, Scott realised.

Scott said nothing, not wanting to answer the Angara in front of him. The Angara clearly didn’t take this well. He punched Scott in the stomach, making Scott to let out a groan of pain.

“It isn’t polite to ignore someone when they are talking to you,” He sneered.  
Still, Scott refused to talk, he would not give the Angara the satisfaction. This only made him angrier. Producing a small knife, he cut across Scott’s face  
Scott hissed, “You bastard.”

“Ah, apparently you can talk, good to know. Oh, and I prefer Rovaan, we have plans for you Pathfinder. You’re going to help us, whether you like it or not.” Rovaan said.

“There’s no way you’re going to get away with this. My team will find me.”

“Oh Pathfinder, that’s exactly what we are hoping for,” Rovaan sneered again.

Gripping Scott’s head tightly, he twisted it until Reyes’ markings were visible. The Angara used his other hand to squeeze tightly on Scott’s throat, constricting his airway and causing his neck to feel like it was on fire.

“Oh how lovely. Did Reyes give these to you? My eyes are everywhere Pathfinder. I know you are close to him and I know he’s hiding something. You’re going to tell me what it is.”  
Scott looked up at the Angara, managing to rasp out, “Fuck. You.”

Bemused, Rovaan let go of Scott’s head, which fell back and hit back of the chair. Still unfinished, the Angara twirled the knife around for a moment before he embedded it in Scott’s thigh.

“SHIT!” cried Scott, unable to hold back his pain.

Leaving the knife in his leg, Rovaan punched Scott again, watching with sadistic amusement as the Pathfinder struggled to hold back his pain. He punched Scott over and over, leaving no part of his body untouched. He pulled back his fist for one final blow, opting to punch Scott’s thigh, next to the knife that was still embedded there. The Angara did not move his fist, he placed his hand on the handle and pushed. It tore through his control. Scott screamed in pure agony. Fire radiated through his leg.  
Finally removing the knife, the Angara opted to use it to slice Scott’s chest. Piercing through his bodysuit, the knife felt hot to Scott’s skin, though whether that was due to the blood now pouring freely down his body Scott could not tell.  
After what felt like an eternity, it appeared that Scott’s captor had sated his desire to cause him pain. Rovaan withdrew the knife and stabbed him one final time where he had been shot.

Too weak to cry out, Scott merely whimpered. Throwing the knife into the corner of the room, the Angara grabbed Scott’s head once again.

“So Pathfinder, are you ready to tell me what I want to know?”

“G-go fuck yourself,” Scott managed to murmur.

Rovaan let out a sigh. “Very well, if you won’t co-operate perhaps Reyes will,”

The Angara turned to leave the room, stopping at the doorway. He turned to Scott and said, “You’re going to die Pathfinder, the only choice you have is whether Reyes sees the life leave your eyes or not,”  
He left, the door closing behind him. Scott was too weak to call out to SAM, who had been noticeably silent since he had woken up.

His voice strained as he tried to call out, “SAM? SAM?”

“I am here Pathfinder. I am sorry but the toxin is still in your system, I am still unable to assist you,”

“It’s fine SAM. Do you know where we are? What’s happening?” Scott rasped.

“My functions are limited, however, I have been able to assert that you are currently in an old angaran farm house around three hours away from Kadara Port. I am attempting to get in touch with the Tempest to inform them of your location. Thus far I have been unsuccessful,”

“Keep trying SAM, hopefully you’ll get through. I don’t fancy another round of torture,”

SAM fell silent once again, focusing solely on making contact with the Tempest. Scott really hoped that he was able to, he didn’t like his chances if his crew were unable to find him. Struggling to take a deep breath, he calmed his mind and attempted to assess his situation. The room wasn’t particularly large, the door was maybe six feet away from him, and by straining his head he could tell he was almost touching the wall. He assumed that he was in an old storage room. Fantastic, what is this obsession with storage rooms about? He thought to himself.  
Looking down at himself to check on his injuries provided him with a shock. His torso was bloodied and bruised. Blood from the cuts on his chest flowed freely and mingled with the dried and fresh blood from the wound to his abdomen. The space under his right eye was stinging, reminding Scott of the cut that Rovaan had engraved there.

“SAM, if you can, will you pass on a message to Reyes for me? Tell him I’m not worried because I know he will find me, and tell him that I love him,”

“Of course, Pathfinder.”  
Scott sent a silent plea that he would be found. He knew he wouldn’t last long if his friends didn’t find him. He embraced the blackness that he had been fighting, letting unconsciousness claim his body, relieving him of the pain.

Chapter 6

“He was kidnapped? How the fuck is that possible?!”

Reyes shouted at Liam, who looked to be fighting back tears, though whether from frustration or upset Cora couldn’t tell. Reyes was pacing up and down the room, mumbling under his breath. Cora decided to speak up, they needed a plan, after all.

“The people who attacked us were Angara, it looks like the Roekaar are active again,” Said Cora.

“And they come back by kidnapping the Pathfinder? If I get my hands on them I swear-” Reyes trailed off, clearly formulating his revenge plan. He wondered to himself if Scott was even still alive.

No, he couldn’t think like that. He had to stay positive and work towards finding out why Scott had been taken and how he was going to get him back. Reyes couldn’t help it, but he was worried for Scott. The mere thought of him being hurt almost brought him to tears. His Pathfinder faced danger everyday in the field, but this was different. Scott was at the mercy of his kidnappers, and Reyes’ mind flashed with white hot panic when he thought about the things they could be doing to him.

“Hold on. Kallo says the Tempest is getting a video call. Unknown caller, should he patch it through?” Asked Liam.

“Yes, it could be whoever took Scott,” Cora replied.

Liam was busy setting up the screen on the wall so that Kallo could patch the video through, while Reyes composed himself. He couldn’t afford to lose his temper and their only chance to find Scott if it was the Roekaar calling. The screen came to life, though it was still dark, and Reyes could not make out any details. Whoever was on the other side wasted no time, beginning to speak almost as soon as the call was connected.

“We have your Pathfinder, you will do as we say when we demand it, or else your precious poster boy will meet a rather unfortunate fate.” Said a voice, clearly enjoying the moment.

“You have him? Show me. We will not listen until we know he is alive. You could be lying,” Reyes responded curtly.

The voice was silent for a heartbeat, before speaking to another person on their side of the line.

“Bring a light in, they want proof we have the Pathfinder? Bring him here. Let them have their proof,” Turning their attention back to Reyes and the others, the voice said, “You may see him. Let it be known that we are not to be challenged.”

Reyes heard steps appear from off-screen, and his heart began to race as the steps became audibly closer. A guard, Reyes guessed, shoved a hooded figure in the back, causing the prisoner to stumble and fall to his knees, letting out a hiss of pain as he made contact with the solid floor. The guard ripped the hood off the prisoner’s head, and Reyes let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Scott!

“Scott! What have you bastards done to him?” Reyes yelled.  
The Pathfinder, his Pathfinder, his Scott. They really had captured him. His lover looked worse than Reyes had ever seen him, even having SAM ripped from him hadn’t left him looking this bad. His hair was in disarray. Strands, normally gelled back with care, fell down around his face caked in blood. An ugly cut now adorned the space under his right eye, stretching from his nose to his cheek. Torture, thought Reyes as he continued his visual assessment. More dried blood covered most of Scott’s bodysuit, with a large patch centred on the left side of his abdomen, which Scott was clutching at with his hand, though Reyes could see that the wound was still bleeding, the blood sluggishly oozing through Scott’s fingers. Despite all this, Scott still held a defiant look in his eyes and his mouth was turned into a snarl, as if daring his captors to touch him again.

“R-Reyes? I’m fine, looks worse than it is,” Scott tried to grin, but his injuries caused him to grimace and double over.

“As you can see, we are quite serious. We be in touch shortly with our demands,” The mysterious voice said flatly.

“Wait!” Reyes yelled at the screen, but the transmission had already been cut, leaving a black screen where Scott had been. All Reyes could see was his own reflection. He wasn’t sure when he had started crying, but tears had run down his face, leaving a trail.

“SAM, were you able to get the Pathfinder’s location before you lost contact?” Asked Reyes, his voice tinged with worry and desperation.

“Yes, Mr. Vidal. However, from my initial scans it was heavily guarded, and is located in a remote area of Kadara,”  
Reyes nodded his assent, even though he knew SAM couldn’t see.

“Send me the location, I’ll see to it that we get him back safely,” With that, Reyes turned on his heel on left, leaving behind the rest of Scott’s crew, visibly shaken over having seen the Pathfinder in such a state.

In an effort to busy themselves, they each began to leave the room, each with a specific goal in mind. Liam, Vetra and Drack made their way to the armoury to make sure that their weapons were in perfect working order. Cora figured that she should eat so that she could be at full strength. Peebee thought the same but decided to wait so she wouldn’t have to deal with Cora. Jaal returned to the Tempest, planning on going through his breathing techniques so that he would have a clear mind when the time came to rescue the Pathfinder.  
Reyes was walking towards the lift to go down to Tartarus when a familiar figure appeared next to him, matching his pace.

“Keema, I assume you heard about what’s happened?” Reyes asked, not turning to face her.

“Yes I did. I’m so sorry Reyes, whoever is running this cell is good. Your network didn’t find anything to suggest there was a new Roekaar cell operating on Kadara.” Said Keema. She looked tired, pretending to be the leader of Kadara was almost as exhausting as actually being the leader it seemed.

“Are we sure it’s a new cell? It could be an old one that has switched up its tactics, in which case we’ll have information on them,”

“Ah, we have had some luck. It would appear that it is a new cell made up of remnants of cells that we were able to take care of,” Keema replied.

“So does this mean that we have information on some of the members?” Asked Reyes hopefully.

“Some scouts just returned, if you’d like to come with me we can see if there’s anything we can use to get your Pathfinder back,” Keema let a small smile creep up her face.

“Don’t worry Reyes, we’ll get him back, you’ve always managed to have your way,”  
“I hope so Keema. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Let’s go,”

Reyes turned around to head back towards the former Outcast headquarters. They walked in silence for only a few moments before Keema piped up again.  
“You really are infatuated with him aren’t you? You can’t go a day without talking about him, I hope you two stay this happy for a long time. And, to quote one of the Pathfinder’s squad, if you mistreat him, or if he mistreats you, I’ll punch the offender through a wall,”  
Reyes laughed, but he did not doubt that she would make good on her promise if either he or Scott fucked up their still new relationship.  
They reached the meeting room, where three of the Charlatan’s scouts were waiting for them. Keema strolled over to the throne, as it had been christened, and flopped down lazily. Reyes opted to stand next to her, still giving the impression that he was merely a part of the Collective, and not its shadowy head.

“So,” Keema began, “What were you able to find out?

Chapter 7

It was almost midnight when Reyes returned, but rather than sleep he insisted that he join the others on the Tempest. He asked SAM to send the crew to the conference deck. SAM enquired as to why Reyes was acting with such urgency.

“I have a plan,” Was all he would say.

When the crew of the Tempest gathered on the conference deck Reyes wasted no time on explaining his plan to them.

“Good morning, I’m sorry to wake you so early, but I have some information, and we need to act on it quickly,”

Reyes pulled up a map of a building on the holo projector as well as a single file on what they assumed was the ringleader of this particular cell. Setting the projection to run automatically as he spoke, he turned to face the assembled crew.

“Again, my apologies for waking you in the middle of the night. I spoke with some of my scouts following this particular group of Roekaar. From what they gathered, it would appear they are planning on moving in the morning. So, before they do, I want us to be there, rescue Scott, and eliminate these bastards before they cause anymore trouble.

“It will take us a couple of hours to reach their location, so if everybody could be ready to leave at 0300 that would be perfect,” Reyes grinned. Everyone on Scott’s team was well trained, he knew that they would succeed. He carried on with his briefing.

“They are holed up in an old Angaran farm. It isn’t particularly big, but it is well guarded. So, to even the odds a little bit, it’ll be best if three of you distract them by attacking from the south and then have one of you providing sniper support from the west. With them distracted, myself and two others will slip in from the north and free the Pathfinder.” Reyes almost looked happy, clearly quite pleased with his plan.

“I suppose that’s a decent plan,” Said Vetra.

“Are you sure? I am quite pleased with it. I’m sure it is not up to your usual standard, but it’s the best I could come up with on such short notice,” Reyes drawled.

“Are you kidding me? Most of Scott’s plans tend to revolve around three things. Get in and cause havoc, complete the objective, and don’t die,” Liam retorted, with a small grin.

The rest of the crew sniggered at Liam’s outburst, before beginning to discuss the details and debating over who would be in which team.

“Before we go on, who’s the file on?” asked Cora, intrigued.

“We believe that this is the person in charge of the cell. We don’t know much aside from the fact that they are from one of the original cells that we dismantled a couple of months ago. I eliminated the leader when I was trying to make a deal with some sympathetic Angara, so we think that taking Scott is part of a larger plan to get revenge on me personally. Luckily, from what we gathered, they do not know about my alter ego, so the Collective is safe,”

“Well that’s something at least, and at least we have some inkling as to what’s going on,” Sighed Peebee, who had been noticeably silent.

“I’ll be in the team that goes through the front door. It’s been awhile since I last had some fun,” Grinned Drack.

“Jaal, you’re the best sniper out of all of us. Will you be the support?” Cora asked.

“Of course, anything I can do to be of assistance.”

With the plan and everyone’s role in it being hashed out among the Pathfinder’s team, Reyes excused himself and went down into Scott’s quarters. Sitting at the desk he took out the photo of Scott he had taken only the day before. He looked so innocent, so happy, sprawled out across his bed, so different from the beaten man Reyes had last seen. SAM stirred him out of his thoughts.

“Mr. Vidal, is there anything I can assist you with?”

“No thank you SAM, I need to know that we will get there in time, I need to know that Scott will be safe,”

“Although I cannot give you the assurance you need, I can tell you that Scott gave me a message for you before I lost contact with him. He said he is not worried as he knows you will save him. And, he said he loves you,”

“Thank you for telling me SAM, that does make me feel better,”

“I am sorry that I cannot be of more assistance, I have partitioned myself so that I can speak with you while also focusing on the Pathfinder,” SAM said.  
Reyes stood up, he needed to prepare himself. Showtime, he thought.

Chapter 8

Somehow everyone managed to fit into the Nomad, though quite how Reyes could only guess. There was not much room, but they had decided that one vehicle would give them a better chance at keeping the element of surprise. They did not make much conversation, too focused on prepping their weapons and mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming firefight. Peebee and Vetra had agreed to a truce. Peebee would not tease Vetra and Vetra would not try to teach Peebee the importance of cleaning her weapon while they were in the Nomad, deciding that the mission was too important to lose focus.  
Before long they arrived at their destination. Parking the Nomad a few miles away so that they would not be spotted too soon, they walked to the hill that overlooked the building. Jaal split off from the rest of the group, setting himself up on a small outcropping that gave him a perfect view of the land, but was also protected enough that he would not be in terrible danger should the Roekaar begin shooting at him. Carrying on their way, Drack, Vetra and Cora turned right after getting down the hill, preparing to barge through the front door. Going straight on, Reyes, Liam and Peebee stuck to the crates, taking care not to be seen.

“Is everybody ready?” Reyes voice crackled through the comms.

“We’re all good here,” Replied Cora.

“Ready to take the first shot,” Was Jaal’s answer.

“Okay, good luck everyone. Do it Jaal,”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Scott was woken up by a slap to his face. Blinking in surprise, he looked up to see Rovaan. He had the same sadistic grin upon his face as last time.  
“Good morning Pathfinder, ready to answer some questions now?”

Scott glared at the figure in front of him. “Like hell I’m gonna tell you anything,”

“Ah, but you are going to tell me what I want to know. If you don’t that lovely boyfriend of yours is going to have a rather unfortunate accident,” He taunted.  
Scott felt his blood run cold. If they knew where Reyes was and could actually get to him...  
The Angara could see that he had hit a nerve, and decided to drive his advantage in.

“I have people following him. One message, and your dear smuggler won’t make his next delivery. Now, why don’t you tell me what dirty little secret he’s sitting on, hmm?”

“He doesn’t have any secrets. He’s a good man.” Scott objected.

“A good man who kills and steals? Oh dear, it would seem that you have fallen under his spell. You know he killed my best friend? Just shot him in cold blood, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” The sadistic grin was replaced with a snarl, a vestige of pure anger twisting his features.

“I swore I would avenge him, and to do that I’m going to take everything Reyes is and everything he loves, starting with you,” He punched Scott hard in the jaw, causing Scott’s brain to rattle in his head. The Angara drew back his fist for another strike but stopped short. His eyes grew distant and Scott realized he was talking to someone. Someone’s talking to him, Scott realised. He looked frustrated, all but barking his reply.

“Well, send them out to take care of them. If there’s only three of them you outnumber them three to one!”  
Turning his attention back to Scott, he sniffed disapprovingly. “It would appear that you have a rescue party. Don’t get your hopes up though, they’ll be taken care of shortly,” Rovaan left quickly. Scott couldn’t help but be relieved. They had found him and if he knew Reyes, he would be out of here in no time at all.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The frontal assault team was doing their job amazingly well. Drack, Vetra and Cora were proving to be an excellent distraction, as the Angara were sending more fighters to try and stop them. Jaal was also proving he deserved the title of best sniper, every round he fired found its target. The blue flash of Cora’s biotics slammed into the Roekaar fighters, sending them flying through the air, landing in crumpled piles, never to get up again. Drack’s shotgun left a trail of bloody corpses behind him. He laughed as he made his way closer to the main entrance, the volume of his laugh only increasing when more fighters blocked his way. Vetra was more cautious, choosing her targets strategically. Her main goal was to to provide suppressing fire, keeping her team safe from angara snipers but anyone who dared to come too close wound up with a bullet between the eyes.

“Ahaha, I haven’t had this much fun since I left Eos!” Exclaimed Drack.

“You sure about that old timer? You’re looking a little slower than usual,” Teased Vetra.

“Come guys, focus! Let’s take these bastards down!” Was Cora’s input.  
With the angara well and truly distracted, Reyes, Liam and Peebee were able to slip through unnoticed. The building was eerily quiet. It would appear that everyone was outside fighting. They moved through quickly, with no sign of Scott, or indeed, any sign of life at all. Reyes’ heart was pounding, his mind running through worst case scenarios. Shrugging them off, he doubled his pace. The sooner he found Scott, the better.  
They were around two-thirds of the way through searching the building when Peebee stumbled upon what appeared to be a makeshift operations room. She was checking it out when she saw movement in the corner of the room. She raised her pistol, making sure to keep her biotics ready to go if they were needed.

“Come out with your hands up! It’s over, whoever you are.”  
The figure walked towards her with their hands outstretched.

“I’m unarmed,” The figure said, making his way slowly into the light.

Liam had followed in behind Peebee, also training his gun on the angara. Reyes was still checking out some of the other rooms, his mind focused solely on finding Scott. He was completely preoccupied until he heard Peebee curse. Deciding to check on her, he rushed passed an alcove, paying it no mind. After he had turned the corner, a figure emerged from the shadows and went in the opposite direction to Reyes.  
Walking into the room that he had seen Peebee go into, he was greeted to the sight of Liam pulling an Angaran knife out of Peebee’s shoulder.

“Ah shit!” Peebee cried out.

“Sorry! But I need to get it out,” Offered Liam, focusing on getting the knife out quickly and cleanly.

“What happened?” Asked Reyes, approaching the pair.

“Bastard had a knife hidden in his sleeve, threw it the second I lowered my gun,” Hissed Peebee.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be fine, let’s just find the Pathfinder and get out of here okay?”

They quickly swept through the remaining few rooms. They did not see the angara that had attacked Peebee, nor did they see Scott. Within a few minutes they reached the last room in the building, and it appeared that they would get lucky behind this door. It was locked, and looked to be barricaded. Liam had thoughtfully brought along some grenades, which he placed at the foot of the door. Setting one to go off, they hid behind the wall. The explosion was deafening, and slightly disoriented the group. Recovering his composure, Reyes rushed into the new hole, shouting as he did so.

“Scott, Scott! Ah shit!”  
Concerned by his last comment the others rushed in to see what had happened. A disturbing site met them. Scott was tied to a chair, and the Angaran from earlier stood over him brandishing a pistol to his head.

“Don’t make another move, or you’re precious Pathfinder won’t leave this place alive!” He commanded.  
Reyes slowly placed his weapon onto the floor, and stepped away from it, trying not to give away that Jaal was talking through his earpiece.

“Reyes, all the Roekaar outside have been dealt with. SAM has informed us of what is going on, I am staying in position, and the others are setting charges to blow the wall out if it is needed.”

“What do you want? You clearly have a vendetta against me. Let’s discuss it like gentlemen, shall we?” Reyes proffered.

“We have nothing to discuss Vidal. You took something from me and now I’m going to take something from you!” The Angara raised his pistol to Scott’s head.

Reyes felt a lump forming in his throat. This couldn’t be happening. He was too far away to tackle the Angaran to the ground. Even if he could the chance of hurting Scott was high. His hands balled into fists, nails biting through his palms. The Angaran gave a cruel smile, and squeezed the trigger.

“Now!” Shouted Reyes, praying that the others would know what he meant.

They did. An explosion rocked the room as the back wall collapsed. Vetra jumped through the hole, and quickly fired off a shot, which hit the Angara in the leg, causing him to collapse. She quickly subdued him, while Reyes rushed to Scott’s side, checking to make sure he was okay.

“Scott! I’m so glad we found you. You’re going to be okay, we have Lexi waiting to patch you up.” Mumbled Reyes. Tears fell freely down his face, from both a mix of relief and worry.

“R-Reyes? Kn-knew you’d find me.” Scott slurred, not fully conscious.

“Scott? Scott! You need to stay awake. Please, stay awake,” Reyes could feel the tears falling, but he refused to let go of his Pathfinder.

“Reyes, the Pathfinder is seriously injured. The Angara injected him with a toxin just before you arrived, if he does not receive medical attention within the next thirty minutes, there is an eighty percent he will die.” SAM informed him.

Shit, thought Reyes. He released Scott from his bindings and flung his arm over his shoulders.

“Kallo, I need you to come pick us up quickly. Scott needs help.”

“Understood, we’ll be with you momentarily,” He replied.  
Scott was slumped against Reyes, no longer conscious. Panic flooded through Reyes. Scott’s breathing was ragged and irregular, and he had become a deadweight.

“Kallo! I need you hear now!” Reyes shouted.

“I’m coming as fast as I can, ETA is ten minutes,” Kallo replied.  
It felt like an eternity to Reyes, who had completely forgotten about the Angaran that Drack and Vetra were keeping occupied in another room. I hope it hurts, thought Reyes bitterly.

“Mr Vidal?” SAM’s voice stirred him.

“Yes?”

“The Tempest has arrived, and is ready for boarding. You must be quick, the Pathfinder’s injures are too severe, I can no longer help him,”

“What do you mean SAM?” Asked Reyes with worry.

“He can’t breathe, Mr. Vidal.”

Chapter 9

The next few hours were a blur to Reyes. After they had got Scott into the Tempest’s medbay, Lexi had thrown everyone out, insisting that she needed space to work. That had been almost two hours ago. Lexi’s words still haunted him.

“I will do everything in my power to save his life, however it is a powerful toxin, so I may not be successful. I’ll come find you when I have news,” She had said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

To pass the time, Reyes had gone to see the Angaran they had captured, to make him talk. It had not taken much. The Angaran had snarled at him, letting him know exactly what he had done to his friend and lamented the fact that he had failed to kill Scott.

“I still have friends out there Vidal, they will finish what I started, you cannot stop us,” He had leered.

“Oh, but I will stop your friends, and you will be an example of what happens when you fuck with me, Rovaan.” Reyes had coldly replied.

He had removed a small knife he kept in his boot and had stabbed the bastard in the stomach, pulling the knife upwards, causing Rovaan to scream in agony. Reyes had stopped just short of outright killing him, opting to leave him in unbearable pain until they got back to Kadara Port. He might live, if only so that Reyes could have him executed at a later date.  
He was still lost in thought when Lexi sat down next to him. “Reyes,” She said softly.

“Oh, yes Dr? How is he?”

“It was touch and go for a bit, but I managed to stop the poison from progressing. I’ve cleaned and dressed his wounds as well, they were quite severe, he will have some scar tissue on his face and abdomen but given rest, he’ll be fine.”

Reyes let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Lexi, may I see him?”

“Of course, he woke up around twenty minutes ago, and he’s been asking for you. Be gentle ok? No intensive questioning.”

“Of course, I only want to let him know how glad I am that he’s safe, and, there’s something I need to ask him.”

Lexi smiled, and stood up to guide Reyes to the medbay. The doors closed behind him, and he took a moment to survey his lover. The colour had returned to Scott’s face, making the cut on his face look less garish. Scott’s eyes were focused on him, and a small smile appeared on his face.

“My knight in shining armour,” Scott murmured, the smile on his face widening when Reyes sat next to him and took his hand in his own, Scott’s fair skin looking more pronounced than ever compared to Reyes’ tanned skin.

“Scott, I’m so happy you’re okay. How do you feel?”

“Like shit, but Lexi assures me that given a month I should be back to my normal self.”

Reyes lets a large grin grace his features. “That’s so good to hear. Scott, I love you so much, I don’t know what I would do without you, you make me want to be a better man.”  
Scott let out a small laugh. “I love you too Reyes, and don’t worry, you’ll never find out.”

Reyes planted a small kiss on Scott’s forehead. “Get some rest Scott, we’ll talk more later.”  
He let go of Scott’s hand and headed towards the door. Stopping, he looked back at Scott. In a funny way, almost losing him had made Reyes realise how integral Scott had become in his life. Walking out of the medbay to get some sleep himself, Reyes felt at peace for the first time in days. He was truly lucky that Scott had come into his life and made him feel whole.

Epilogue

Two months later.  
“Come on Scott! I haven’t seen you in ages, and I have a surprise for you!” Exclaimed Reyes, taking Scott by the hand and dragging him through Kadara, to the amused looks of Scott’s crew.

“You saw me yesterday! And another surprise? You do like to spoil me, don’t you?” Scott laughed.

As soon as the Tempest had landed, Reyes had been there. Without a word he had taken Scott by the hand and led him to the outskirts of the port. Jumping into a vehicle, Reyes had taken Scott on the date he had been promised before Scott had been kidnapped. They had enjoyed a delicious lunch, courtesy of Sloane’s stash, on top of one of the highest peaks near the port. It had a gorgeous view of the port, the lights like large jewels in the distance. They had spent the night on top of the peak, camping under the stars. In the thrill of the moment, they loved each other more intensely than ever before, fully allowing their passion to consume them, their moans of ecstasy as they worshipped each other ringing out into the night sky. If Reyes was a religious man, he would have said that he felt connected to Scott in body and spirit, fully allowing himself to commit to the man next to him.  
They had only just returned to Kadara, and Reyes was already taking him to the former Outcast headquarters. Scott assumed that Reyes had another meal waiting for them, so he was rather surprised when they slipped into another storage room.

“You really have a thing for storage rooms don’t you?” Asked Scott, amused.

“Not really, but since storage rooms have become important to us I decided we should roll with it,” Grinned Reyes.

Scott realised that the room hadn’t been cleared out. Whatever Reyes had planned for him was a complete mystery. The room felt familiar but Scott couldn’t place his finger on it. That is until Reyes jumped up to rummage through a crate.

“This is where we had our first ‘date’ isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Replied Reyes.

“It’s become a special place to me, Scott. Old habits die hard.” He jumped down from the crates, offering out a bottle of whiskey.

“It’s not Mount Milgrom, but it’s still good whiskey.”

“Well, with the company I’m in, it’s just as good.” Scott said softly.

“Flatterer.” Reyes smiled at Scott, passing him the bottle and a glass.

Scott poured himself and drink, and passed the bottle to Reyes, so that he could fill his own glass. They sat on one of the crates, enjoying a comfortable silenced as they sipped their whiskey. Reyes let his hand brush over Scott’s, resting it on top of the Pathfinder’s, letting their fingers intertwine.

“I love you so much Scott, this has truly become my favourite thing to do.”

“What? Spending time with me? Or drinking pilfered whiskey?” Scott teased.

“Considering that I wouldn’t be drinking pilfered whiskey without you, I guess I’ll go with spending time with you,” Reyes fired back with mirth in his eyes and voice.  
Scott smiled, and planted a kiss on Reyes’ lips.

Pulling away, he replied, “I love you so much too Reyes, and I can’t imagine my life without you anymore.”

“I hoped you would say that, because I have something to ask you.” Putting his glass down, Reyes stood up, pulling Scott with him.

“Now this is intriguing.” Scott grinned, putting his own glass down.  
After spending a moment staring deeply into Scott’s eyes, Reyes slowly knelt down on one knee. Scott let out a gasp in surprise.

“Pathfinder, Scott Ryder, I have said it before and I will say it again. I love you with all my heart, and I can’t imagine my life without you now. Will you marry me?”  
Scott couldn’t help the massive grin that was now plastered across his face. He had never felt so happy.

“Yes, Reyes. Yes, I will.”

Reyes slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a simple but elegant gold ring, which he slipped onto Scott’s finger.

“There, a perfect fit,” He said as he removed his gloves, revealing that he had a matching ring on his own finger.

“Wow, somebody felt confident I would say yes.” Scott teased.

“Remember how I told you to consider me hacked? I like to think I hacked you as well,” Said Reyes.

Reyes captured Scott’s mouth with his own, before the Pathfinder could groan at his joke. Breaking away, Reyes noticed that Scott looked rather giddy.

“Let’s go outside, I can’t wait to tell everyone.” Scott said.

They left the storage room and were almost outside when Reyes murmured, just loud enough for Scott to hear.

“Well… actually.”

“Congratulations!” Shouted everyone who was waiting outside. The whole crew of the Tempest, including Suvi, Kallo and Gil were there, as well as Reyes’ friend Keema, and even Umi, surprisingly. They threw torn up paper in lieu of confetti, with some of it landing in Scott’s hair. With a gigantic smile on his face, he laughed with pleasure.

“You were really confident, weren’t you?” Scott accepted the pats on the back from his friends, though his eyes were only for Reyes. He brought his face closer, to elicit another kiss from him.

“I know you too well now Scott. After all, you have terrible taste in men.”

Scott returned for another kiss, allowing their tongues to mingle. They remained like this for a while, until the need for air forced them to break the kiss. Scott leaned in to whisper into Reyes’ ear.

“The worst,” He said gently.

 

Art by BioticFox

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story! Did you love it? Hate it? Feel somewhere in the middle? Tell me!
> 
> Once again a huge thank you to BioticFox, go see their Tumblr and show some love!


End file.
